Bombers eye NRL base at Doomben

Doomben racecourse could house a state-of-the-art rugby league facility if the Brisbane Bombers become the NRL's 17th franchise.

Getty Images Bradley Kanaris

Brisbane Bombers have upped the ante in their battle to win an NRL licence after revealing plans on Thursday to build a state of the art training facility at Doomben Racecourse.

The Bombers, who could be ready to take off as early as 2015 if the newly cashed-up Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) approves expansion, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Brisbane Racing Club to have their home base included as part of a massive development application before the Brisbane City Council.

The complex would house the club's football department and an up-to-the-minute training facility featuring an altitude chamber to speed up players' injury recovery.

The Bombers released details of a partnership deal with the BRC on the same day ARLC Commissioner John Grant was quoted as saying expansion would not happen within the next five years.

The Bombers and seven other franchises bidding to be the 17th team invited to play in the NRL have been in a holding pattern since the Commission landed a record billion-dollar TV rights deal in August.

However they are hoping for some positive news when the Commission reveals its strategic plan for the game's future, expected before the end of the year.

BRC chief executive Stephen Ferguson said a lot of hard work had gone into developing a vision for the racecourse as a world class racing and mixed-use urban precinct.

"We would welcome the Brisbane Bombers to Doomben Parklands to help us create a great facility for sport and recreation," said Ferguson.

Bid boss Craig Davison said a partnership with the BRC will create an outcome that would be highly beneficial to the Brisbane Bombers and the local community.

"Doomben Parklands will provide us with an opportunity to use existing infrastructure and space that would make our transition into the NRL streamlined and at the same time affordable," said Davidson on Thursday.

Grant told the Queensland Times this week that there had been very little work done on expansion.

"It is a strategic consideration for the game and one that will be considered as part of the commission's strategic planning process," he said.

"We've talked about the fact that plan will be released later in the year and that remains the case."

A decision on expansion will come down to whether host broadcasters Channel Nine believe they can increase revenue and boost ratings.

The Bombers remain very confident they can achieve both by playing out of Lang Park providing Nine with a game in Brisbane every weekend, which they believe will boost both the the network's income and ratings.